30 December 2018

My books of 2018

In 2018, I read more books than for several years due to some short books and audiobooks. I used to read a book a week in my 20s. This is the first time I’ve gotten this number since I started tracking the last few years. I don’t feel it’s quite the same with some of these short ones but the number surprised me since that wasn’t what I necessarily set out to do. 

1.The Poet, Michael Connelly, early 1990s detective mystery fiction, audiobook, found the detailed description of old technology distracting but a good plot. ***.5
2.In the name of Jesus: Reflections on Leadership, Henri Nouwen,nonfiction 
3.She’s not there, Joy Fielding, California , Mexico modern, fiction mystery,***
4. Where She was, modern mystery suburbs out of NYC, audiobook, ****
5.  Ordinary grace, by William Kent Krueger, 1961 Minnesota fiction, ****, the title is intriguing and exactly right for a complicated dramatic plot. 
6. 1st to Die, James Patterson, with Andrew Gross, detective fiction , A Woman’s Murder Club, San Francisco, library ebook. ****
7. Adulthood is a myth, cartoon book, Sarah Anderson, library, very funny. 
8.  Struck by Genius, how a Brain  injury made me a mathematical genius, Jason Padgett and Maureen Seaburg, nonfiction aquired savant. I’m fascinated! Library, ebook
9. Memory Man, David Baldacci, modern mystery, aquired savant, *****, library audiobook
10. Little Girl Lost, by Brian McGillaway, Northen Ireland, modern police procedural, ebook, ****fiction 
11. Say you’re sorry, By Melinda Leigh, modern US mystery, Morgan Dane book 1. Good plot more romance than I like.  Audiobook.
12.  Bonhoeffer, by Eric Metaxas, , audio library book. Very long but very interesting. 
13. The Last Mile,  by David Baldacci, book 2 detective savant, not as engaging for me as the first maybe because it was centered on football. Still good writing.
14. The kiiller next store, alex marwood, UK fiction present day, audiobook, interesting but way too much gore, vulgar detail for my taste. 
15. Crucial Conversations,nonfiction, Paterson, gray, McPherson, switzer, *****
16. tea and bee’s milk, our year in a Turkish village, Karen and Ray Gilden  Travelogue Turkey 1996, ebook, ****
17. 2nd Chance,  women’s detective club book 2, fiction, San Francisco,  James Patterson, ***.5
18. Proof, Dick Francis, UK wine and horses industry fiction from 1980s, ****, audiobook
19. The Paris Librarian, Mark Pryor, Paris, fiction mystery, ***library ebook
20. Extra Virginity: the sublime and scandalous world of olive oil, by Tom Mueller, nonfiction, aundiobook.***.5 enjoyed it. 
21. Creativity Inc, by Ed Camall, and Amy Wallace, nonfiction *****, both bought ebook and library ebook.
22. The Breakdown, B.A. Paris, fiction, audiobook, UK modern mystery, I grew very tired of the weakness of the protagonist. This gets very high ratings so not sure why I saw through story line so quickly.
23. Death Rites, Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett, police procedural 1994 Barcelona.****
24.  Away with words, Joe Berkowitz, nonfiction pun contests in  Texas and New York
25. Kill the next one, Federico Axat, fiction mystery, audiobook, surprising g premise. ****
26. 3rd degree , by James Patterson and Andrew Gross, mystery series in san  Francisco, ***
27. The case of the deadly butter chicken, Tarquín Hall, mystery fiction, modern day indai. ****, library audiobook
28. The devil’s bed, William Kent Krueger, fiction Mystery, Minnesota, ****, ebook
29.  A monster calls, by Patrick Ness. Fiction modern u k. Coming of age. Good, sad, library ebook
30. Before the fall, Noah Hawley, suspense fiction east coast, plane wreck, ***, audiobook, entertaining, interesting premise
31. Educated, Tara Westover, nonfiction memoir, Idaho, audiobook. She never went to school. Fascinating. 
32. As chimney sweeps come to dust, Alan Bradley,mystery fiction,  Uk, Canada, library ebook.  ****
33. The fix, DC, David Baldacci, mystery fiction, ***.5
34. The Bullet, mary Louise Kelly, DC, Atlanta. Mystery fiction, audiobook****
35. Best served cold:a Martha Garrett mystery, by Cyn Mackley, Texas mystery fiction, fun story, a few typos which I found distracting. Ebook. 
36. Schadenfreude, A Love Story: Me, the Germans, and 20 Years of Attempted Transformations, Unfortunate Miscommunications, and Humiliating Situations That Only They Have Words For, by Rebecca Shuman, nonfiction travel. CanNot recommend.
37. The Diamond Caper, Peter Mayle, Southern France/Provence, fiction, easy read, delightful. Library ebook. ****
38. Underneath a Scarlet Sky, a novelized story based on real events in WW II in Italy, Mark Sullivan **** audiobook
39. I see you, by Clare Mackintosh, fiction mystery UK London, audiobook, good book. I tire of weak protagonists from the UK lately but the overall book was enjoyable and she was strong at the end. ***
40. The Straw Men, Michael Marshall, fiction mystery ebook, too many plot lines a deeper edit would have helped. A very interesting premise just not coherent, Montana and California. Ebook.*
41. Artifacts, by Mary Anna Evans, fiction mystery archeology in Florida, very enjoyable. Ebook, ****
42. Iron house, by John Hart, mystery fiction, south USA mostly. *****
43. Anything you can imagine, Peter Jackson and the making of middle earth, by Andy Serkis. Audiobook. Very enjoyable especially for my geeky film making side. 
44. The Shattered Tree , Charles Todd, WWI historical mystery fiction. I really enjoy this series . Ebook library . 
45. Hi, Bob. By Bob Newhart, audiobook, interviewing comedians.  Fun, quick. 
46. The Fallen, by David Baldacci, mystery fiction, Pennsylvania run. Audiobook. 
47. A fatal grace, Louise Penny, Three Pines and Montreal, Canada, mystery fiction, ****
48. The stupidest angel, a Christmas tale of Terror, fiction, Pine cove   CA Christopher Moore, I did notmean to read a zombie book. Surprise. 
49. Letters from Santa, J. R.R. Tolkien, audiobook. Kids book. 
50. The Life we Bury, Allen Eskens, Mystery Fiction, Minnesota, audiobook
51. Adrenaline and stress, Archibald Hart, nonfiction. 
52. Triptych, by Karen Slaughter , fiction mystery, Atlanta. Libraryebook ***

53. Crucial Accountability, Patterson, Gray, McPherson, and Switzer. Nonfiction. Very good tools.